Orleans Pond Coalition

Orleans, Massachusetts

Dedicated to the health of Orleans waterways for over 20 years.

  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Mission/Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Meet the New 2025 OPC Directors
  • Our Waters
    • Orleans’ Watersheds
    • Freshwater Ponds
      • Baker’s Pond
      • Boland Pond
      • Cedar Pond
      • Crystal Lake
      • Deep Pond
      • Gould Pond
      • Icehouse Pond
      • Kettle Pond
      • Meadow Bog Pond
      • Pilgrim Lake
      • Reuben’s Pond
      • Sarah’s Pond
      • Shoal Pond
      • Twinings Pond
      • Uncle Harvey’s Pond
      • Uncle Israel’s
      • Uncle Seth’s
    • Estuaries
      • Cape Cod Bay
      • Nauset
      • Pleasant Bay
      • Lonnie’s (aka Kescayogansett) Pond
    • Drinking Water in Orleans
    • Wastewater Challenges
    • Cape Cod Land Owner Resources
    • The Orleans Blue Pages — A Guide to Protecting Cape Cod Waters
  • Programs
    • Overview
    • Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program
    • The H2Orleans Pond Pledge
    • OPC’s Compost Spreader Loan Program
    • Oxygenation Demonstration Project
    • 2024 Earth Day Clean-Up: Thank you and Pictures
    • The Orleans Blue Pages
    • Fertilizer
    • Mutt Mitts
    • Oysters
    • Water Sampling
    • Member Photo Submissions
  • Celebrate Our Waters
    • 2025 Celebrate Our Waters: Save the Dates
    • 2025 Celebrate Our Waters – Earth Day Event in Pictures
    • 2025 Celebrate Our Waters – Summer Edition in Pictures
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Subscribe
    • Join/Renew
    • Contact Us
    • Submit Photos
  • News
    • 2025 May Town Election
    • 📌 Bulletin
    • Ponderings  
    • Water, Water, Everywhere
    • Ask the Osprey
    • Hugel Terracing report and pictures
  • Join OPC Today

Water Sampling

In 2000, Orleans began sampling freshwater ponds as a result of heightened concerns about pond water quality due to population growth. The impetus was a Cape-wide concern raised by the Cape Cod Commission and other community partners which led to the creation of the Ponds and Stewards (PALS) program. Each year, PALS offers an annual “Snapshot” whereby water samples collected by towns are analyzed free of charge by the SMAST Coastal Systems Analytical Facility Laboratory.

Orleans has been an active PALS participant. Each year Orleans volunteers have collected data from many of the town’s ponds at least twice using the PALS sampling protocol as guidance. One of the samplings is a PALS Snapshot of water collected from mid-August through September. PALS sampling procedures include water column measurements of dissolved oxygen and temperature and Secchi disk transparency – a general measure of ecosystem condition. Laboratory analysis of the samples includes total nitrogen, total phosphorous, chlorophyll a, pH, and alkalinity.

Ponds currently being tested include Bakers Pond, Boland Pond, Cedar Pond, Chigger Pond, Critchetts Pond, Crystal Lake, Deep Pond, Gould Pond, Ice House Pond, Kettle Pond, Little Quanset Pond, Marine Pond, Meadow Bog Pond, Pilgrim Lake, Reuben’s Pond, Sarah’s Pond, Shoal Pond, Twinings Pond, Uncle Harvey’s Pond, Uncle Israel’s Pond, Uncle Seth’s Pond, Wash Pond.

A report on the condition of the major freshwater ponds of Orleans is available at the Town of Orleans website.

About Orleans Pond Coalition

Orleans Pond Coalition, Inc. is a volunteer organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the saltwater estuaries and freshwater ponds and lakes of Orleans. Our work includes offering educational programs to encourage mindful land use practices, sponsoring water quality research, working with community, regional and state organizations to formulate constructive policies to protect our … Learn More

Our Mission

Orleans Pond Coalition is dedicated to the protection and health of our shared watersheds, estuaries, ponds and lakes.

Orleans   Pond   Coalition
PO Box 2485
Orleans, MA 02653

info@orleanspondcoalition.org

OPC is a volunteer organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the saltwater estuaries and freshwater ponds and lakes of Orleans, MA.

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